Week 1 is done! My weigh in

It wasn't a full week, but since I weighed in last Friday and then proceeded to stuff myself like a sausage all weekend, I figured I'd weigh in anyway and if it wasn't a loss- I'd know why.

If you're following me on MFP- you already know, I'm down 4.6 lbs!!!!!!!! So freakin' excited!!!!!!!! Seeing that number on the scale this morning definitely amps up the motivation to keep on keepin' on!

How did you do this week?

Thanks for reading!!

Bakin' Friends!

It's time for this month's installment of  Bakin' Friends  (a baking swap hosted by Stephanie of Steph's Bite by Bite. Each month will feature a new "secret ingredient" and different participant match ups.)

This month the secret ingredient was cinnamon- yum! What better way to usher in the fall season than with a fragrant cinnamon treat?!

This month my Bakin' Friend was Kathleen author of the delicious blog Sweetness Hunter. Check her out for some recipes to satisfy that sweet tooth!

Kathleen sent me Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies- which I have actually made before, but I liked her's better. Maybe that's because I didn't have to do the work ;-) Things always taste better when someone else makes them!

The BEST part about these cookies is that they were waiting for me when I came home from vacation. After a loooong day of traveling with 4 kids (my 2 and my nieces) and some cranky adults (ahem...my husband...ahem), these little caramel stuffed pillows were exactly what I needed.

The only way to eat these, in my humble opinion, is to stick 'em in the microwave for 10 seconds. This gets the caramel all gooey again.

Kathleen packaged these up so adorably- check out those stickers! How perfect!!

Check out the yummy, gooey caramel in these, I wish I had saved some for a rainy day!

Kathleen, thank you so much for these! 

If you are interested in joining our Bakin' Friends group, contact our leader Stephanie!

Thanks for reading!

PS-- I totally forgot to mention that I baked for someone who doesn't blog! I didn't take pictures, but the Nutella Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Muffins I made were yummy (and totally NOT healthy!!!). You can check out the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction. (Photo is her's- mine were a lot bigger, lol)

I want to lose an elephant's penis

That's one thing I never thought I'd say!! 

Someone posted this list on My Fitness Pal and I had to share! What do you want to lose? What have you already lost?


1 lb. = a Guinea Pig 
1.5 lbs. = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts 
2 lb. = a rack of baby back ribs 
3 pounds = an average human brain 
4 pounds = an ostrich egg 
5 pounds = a Chihuahua 
8 pounds = a human head 
10 pounds = chemical additives an American consumes each year 
11 pounds = an average housecat 
12 pounds = a Bald Eagle 
15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs 
16 pounds = a sperm whale's brain 
20 pounds = an automobile tire 
23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year 
25 pounds = an average 2 year old 
30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year 
33 pounds = a cinder block 
36 pounds = a mid-size microwave 
40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg 
44 pounds = an elephants heart 
50 pounds = a small bale of hay 
55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner 
60 pounds = an elephant’s penis 
66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year 
70 pounds = an Irish Setter 
77 pounds = a gold brick 
80 pounds = the World’s Largest Ball of Tape 
90 pounds = a newborn calf 
100 pounds = a 2 month old horse 
111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year 
117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she is 5'11") 
118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica 
120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month 
130 pounds = a newborn giraffe 
138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year 
140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year 
144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she is 5'4½") 
150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary

It really puts things in perspective! (Not that I even know what an elephant's penis would feel like! HA!)

2 days down, a lifetime to go

Day 2 was another good day- even though I started with a high cal smoothie (whoops!). I meant to make a Body by Vi smoothie (using the mix my BFF Supermom Amanda sent me) with skim milk, a banana and a little bit of Nutella. I learned a few important lessons:
- NEVER assume that healthy=low calorie. Who knew a banana was so high in calories?! Crazy!
- ALWAYS check the milk container to make sure it's the right one! I buy 2% for my daughter and skim milk for myself. I grabbed and used the 2%. D'oh.
- Nutella is yummy and would be a great additive if the banana and milk didn't already add too many calories.

So- My "light" smoothie breakfast wound up costing me 361 calories! It was delicious (how could it not be with frozen banana and Nutella?!) and held me over, but I would have preferred something more substantial for that many calories.

I wound up escaping after dinner last night to do my favorite "me time" activity- wandering wistfully around Homegoods. I have quite a wish list going on! I'm so broke it's scary so it truly is a WISH list. My home is severely lacking in furniture and decor, but until we stop struggling with the bills, it will have to do!

Anyway (that was a bit of a tangent there, huh?) when I got home I took the dog for a shorter walk than I had originally planned. It was probably more of a 15-20min walk than 30.

Tonight I'm going to peruse Netflix and see what kind of workouts I can get from there! Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading!

OH!!! I wanted to add- I've been tracking all of my meals and activity in the morning on MFP- but I do my exercise at night once the kids are in bed ;-)

Why does it hurt?!

I'm happy to say that Day 1 went great! I'm most proud of the fact that when I was stressed out and mad at Hubby last night, and all I wanted to do was dive into the bag of chips in the pantry, I went on-line and signed up for Zumba instead  :-D . Of course, spending $70 I don't have isn't all that much better than eating my stress, but at least some good will come out of it.

After dinner and putting the girls to bed I went out and met a few friends for a nice long walk. We walked for about an hour and I enjoyed every minute of the fresh air, adult conversation and lack of whining (mostly- I did do some whining about my evening  ;-) ). Unfortunately, I woke up with the baby last night and my left leg was aching badly and my feet hurt this morning. It won't stop me from walking again tonight, but I'm definitely going to make an appointment for a physical. I haven't had one in years, and I should really discuss my weight loss goals and exercise plans with someone. I want to make sure I'm doing it right. I just don't understand how something as simple as walking can cause so many aches and pains. It's annoying.

I want to put out a call for suggestions on what to do with lean ground beef or turkey. It's very wallet friendly, but I feel like all the ways I know how to make it are high calorie. 

Please share your favorite recipes!

Thanks for reading!!

Starting from scratch- new goals

I finally stepped on the scale this morning for the first time in over a month (I think). I was right- I'm back where I started. Actually, I'm 1 pound above where I started. So, I basically wasted my money on Weight Watchers. Sigh.

It's time to start over again with My Fitness Pal. Thank you to those who have "friended" me on there! I won't be actively tracking until Monday because I know this weekend isn't going to be too great. I'm not going to set myself up for failure from the start. Monday is a fresh work week and a fresh start.

Here are my new goals:

Diet:

-Stay at or close to 1200 calories 6 days a week
-Allow myself 1 cheat day a week- but not a free for all
-No fast food
-Drink Water!!
-Cook at least 4 times per week

Exercise:

-Kickboxing 2x per week for 5 weeks (I bought a 10 class package from Groupon)
-Walk 30-45min 3x per week
-Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred 

I will update my goals again after I finish the Shred!

Please feel free to offer any advice!

Where I'm at

I'm home after my 10 day vacation in Prosperity, South Carolina. It wasn't really a relaxing vacation- how could it be with 6 adults, 2 toddlers, 2 infants and a puppy all under 1 roof?! For a few days there were 2 more adults and 2 teenage boys thrown into the mix as well. Whew...I'm getting exhausted again just thinking about it.

This view is worth it though...

It wasn't as much as a free for all, as far as eating, as I expected it to be. Of course- I indulged a few times, but overall, I wasn't too bad!

I will admit- I haven't done my re-start weigh in yet. I fully expect to be back where I started pre-weight watchers, which sucks, but I'll own it.

So, I'm going to do some My Fitness Pal research and freezer/pantry inventory and lay out a plan . I already have a goal in mind- 20-25lbs gone by Christmas, walking at least 30 minutes 3-4 times a week, possibly finding some sort of Zumba or Yoga class.

I'll be back tomorrow with more of a plan in mind.

Thanks for reading!

Someday...

Someday...

-I will adapt to a healthier lifestyle

-I will be able to exercise without pain

-I will actually cook the quinoa that's been in my pantry for weeks

-I will prefer a piece of fruit over a bowl of ice cream

-I will be healthy

Unfortunately, that day didn't come this summer- but it will. I know it will. It HAS to.

I'm going on vacation to my parents' lake house for 10 days. There will be plenty of eating- but there will also be lots of activity- kayaking, water skiing (if I can get my fat ass up on them), swimming and walking. Maybe it will even itself out if I try not to go totally buck wild with the junk food.

I haven't weighed myself in weeks. I have no plans to do so before I go away. I know I gained- I don't need to see the number to know that.

I will face the music when I get back.

My Weight Watchers subscription ended and I am not renewing. Going forward- I will be using My Fitness Pal. My username is kh9107. Please be my friend- pretty please? ;-)

I'll definitely be checking in before I leave and while I'm there.

Thanks for reading!